(SOLD) This is a mid-1940s White Dot Sheaffer Crest Vac-filler in striated transparent Black, with a 14k gold, two-tone Triumph Extra Extra-Fine Lifetime nib. The pen has been restored, which included a complete disassembly, a thorough cleaning, an overhaul of the filling mechanism, ink flow adjustment, nib tuning, and a gentle polish by hand. I work according to current "best practices" in fountain pen restoration, and I use high-quality replacement materials. I do not use aggressive restoration methods, such as machine-buffing and nib grinding, so as to preserve the pen as a historic specimen.

Sheaffer Crest Vac Black XXF, with the cap off and the plunger partially extended

People sometimes ask me for tips regarding handwriting improvement. I do not consider myself an expert, but, for what it's worth, I believe that the key is speed. Handwriting, unlike calligraphy, is meant to be done without deliberation, rapidly. However, if you browse through Internet discussions about handwriting improvement, the most common advice is "slow down." I am sure it works for a lot of people, but it doesn't work for me. The instant I slow down, my handwriting becomes shaky and loses its flow. Again, that's just me. I might be the odd duck here, so please, take what I say (and the phrase I wrote) with a grain of salt.

The Crest was the flagship of the Sheaffer catalog for many years. This particular Crest is a gorgeous Vac-filler of decent size (5" capped, 0.43" barrel diameter). It posts very nicely, so it should be comfortable even for people with larger hands. Everything about this pen screams class. The material itself is transparent, with a striated barrel, and ink being stored directly inside it. You can gauge ink level with ease, and it's a more elegant solution, IMHO, than the latterinternal, built-in "cartridge" design. The 14k gold-filled cap has a beautiful shape to it and is in excellent condition, only with very minor signs of use. The section is long and has a very gentle ribbed texture, which makes your grip a bit more secure. The cap threads are gold-filled, too.

The nib is a fantastic example of the Triumph design. It writes an XXF line (0.3 mm), and, if you write on dry paper, such as Rhodia, it will be as fine as a needlepoint, but without any of the typical "tooth" associated with conventional needlepoint nibs. This might be one of the smoothest XXF nibs you'll have ever written with, thanks to the Triumph "rocker" design and Sheaffer's precision craftsmanship. I tuned the flow to be just north of average, so you can take full advantage of the nib's fineness. It'll be an ideal nib for modern or business cursive, the Palmer Method, even Spencerian penmanship (without swells). Frankly, I can't think of a better nib to write or learn cursive with, including some of the most expensive modern pens.